


Perfect Gingerbread Men

by phoenixgal



Series: Scenes from a Life [14]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Parenting, Christmas, Family, Gen, Injury, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 23:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10864611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixgal/pseuds/phoenixgal
Summary: Harry is vague. James is confused. Jules is injured and she moves in just in time for Christmas. The parents from James's perspective.





	Perfect Gingerbread Men

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this for a hot two seconds awhile back (it had a different title, though I can't remember what). And before I even went off AO3, I received the most scathing comment I've ever gotten in writing fic. Basically, the gist of the comment was that Harry and Ginny were horrible parents and nothing could justify a fic like this. I felt so defeated that I took it down, so it was probably up for all of an hour. But I just reread it and, really, I feel fine about this fic. However, I also feel the need to justify myself, which is probably stupid, but here goes. 
> 
> It's not my intention to portray Harry and Ginny doing a great job as parents here. I think, especially in the context of my other story from Harry's perspective - Not a Phase - also in this headcanon/series - they have struggled to figure out how to be clear with their kids about being poly and queer. I think parents struggle to talk about sex, drugs, and other things like that with their kids. I think that's normal. I'm not trying to say they did it right. Not at all. On the other hand, I think there are a lot of clues here that Harry has tried, in his own way, to be clear and be decent, but with the way I've conceived of James, they have simply mismatched in understanding each other - because while parents struggle to be human sometimes, some kids struggle to let their parents be human. And that leads to this slightly humorous, slightly jarring, slightly angsty encounter, one that obviously happens before Harry and Ginny are fully ready because of Jules's injury.
> 
> If seeing Harry and Ginny not be very good parents here will really bother you, please just don't read. And generally, if you hated everything about a story - any story, just don't comment. I don't understand why anyone does this. I can't tell you how many fics I've read that I found the choices absurd or offensive. But I'm not going there to shout down the author. Kindly given concrit for something you liked but found a few of the choices confusing or misguided is great. I love it when people say, hey, I loved this and that, but I thought this was way off or why did you have to do it that way! That's good feedback. And sometimes it makes me think. But if you think something was a real pile of shit, just stop reading and let it go.

“Al, I swear, if you leave dishes in the sink one more time, I will hex you!” James looked at the mess his younger brother had left. Just six months, his father had said. Scorpius is finishing a short potions internship before they leave the country but he'll keep your brother civil and in line. I'm letting you live here rent free while you do your healer training, his father had said. January couldn't come fast enough.

“I left them soaking,” Albus defended himself lazily from the couch.

“In green goo?”

“It's not my fault I'm bollocks at potions.”

James fumed but tried to hold his tongue. They had already had it out so many times that he was starting to worry that they'd just hate each other one day. He didn't want that. And it really was going to be over soon and he and his flatmates would have all their extra space back. He took a deep breath as he went into the sitting room.

“Next time, water would be enough. I know you can manage an aquamenti.”

“Whatever.”

Scorpius came in the room and gave Albus a disapproving look. It was small consolation to know his brother's boyfriend was at least on his side.

James tried to focus on his deep breaths. A tapping at the window interrupted him.

“Dad's owl?” Albus asked.

James went to open the window and the owl jumped in from the dreary cold, holding out its leg to deliver its note. James pulled one of the owl treats from the box by the window for it before unrolling the bit of parchment.

“What's it say?” Albus had made room for his boyfriend on the sofa and was doing some sort of muggle puzzle with numbers while he leaned on Scorpius. It was funny how much he liked muggle books and things, James thought.

“Um… I'll read it out. Jamie and Al, I hate to disrupt our family Christmas on Christmas Eve tomorrow but a few things have come up. First, Neville's grandmother passed away a few days ago and we've invited him to spend the holiday here. Second, an old friend of ours, Julianna Marsh, suffered an injury from which she's still recovering and she's coming to live with us for now. I know I told you both about her last year. Of course, she'll also spend the holidays with us. I know this changes things a little from our usual plans, but I hope you'll understand and be welcoming to them and if you need to talk about it, your mother and I can do so. I'm sure it's an adjustment for you, too. Jamie, if you have some time today, I'd love your help getting Julianna settled. There's still a lot of stuff to move. Dad.”

James looked up from the note. “I was going to finish my shopping, but I suppose I can help out for a bit.” He glanced up at the clock. It was early and he had the day off for the holidays. No rounds or instruction until after Boxing Day. He scrawled on the back of the parchment and handed it to his father's owl to return.

That's when he noticed Albus and Scorpius whispering. “What?” he asked as he closed the window again. “You can't actually be upset about Christmas being disrupted.”

“We finally get to meet the elusive Jules!” Albus burst out. “And, Merlin's saggy left ball, they invited Neville to Christmas? What is the world coming to! And Jules is living there now? Fucking hell. Kids fly the nest and they really go for it, don't they?”

James raised his eyebrow at his brother. “What are you on about?” he asked.

“What am I on about? You've got to be joking,” Albus said. “Our crazy, kinky parents invite the lovers to Christmas. How can you take it in stride like that?”

“What?” James said. “Lovers? You're taking the piss.”

Albus sat all the way up on the sofa. “Fucking Salazar. Don't tell me you don't know!”

James glanced at Scorpius, who, he noticed with some relief, was at least looking at Albus with disapproval. “Now I know you're taking the piss.”

“I swear I'm not! Our parents...”

“It's not nice to out people, Al,” Scorpius interrupted.

James looked at the both of them in disbelief. “What the fuck are you even trying to say?”

“I'm not outing anyone,” Albus said defensively to his boyfriend. “Dad told me he was going to talk to you. I don't think he was lying. Why would he?”

“Talk to me about what?” James demanded. “Who the bloody hell is Jules?”

“Dad really didn't talk to you? Right after I came out, he gave me an earful.”

James cast his head back to the previous year. It had been about a year since he'd learned about Albus being gay, though really by then it hadn't been such a surprise. 

He remembered vaguely that he and his father had talked about it at lunch one day. His father had taken him out to a muggle restaurant on one of his days without many shifts. That had been a treat. He had talked about Albus and about relationships being complex. Honestly, he couldn't remember most of it. It had all been very vague. His father had a way of being absurdly cryptic sometimes and James had learned over the years to just tune him out when he was like that. He'd thought at the time that his father was trying to express his acceptance of Albus, which he supposed was good. He also didn't mind that Al was gay. If he minded anything about his brother, it was that he was a slob and occasionally a backstabbing Slytherin. All the other things his father had said, he had discarded as nebulous relationship advice. He hadn't been seeing anyone seriously since Hogwarts. He knew it was pretty common to pair off young in the wizarding world, but he figured there was plenty of time for all that once he had his healing credentials and had started properly in his career.

“He said something vague to me about… I don't know, getting to know what you want in a relationship and not judging or something. And that relationships are complicated. And a bunch of stuff about gay relationships being normal, which I guess was about you. You know Dad. He just spouts nonsense sometimes.”

Albus threw back his head and laughed. Even Scorpius looked amused. “Oh, Merlin. That is so Dad. You have to read between the lines and not put up with that vague rubbish when he tries it. He was trying to tell you he and Mum have this whole pansexual bisexual open relationship thing going. Like, even when we were little.”

“What? No they don't. Don't be gross.” James sat down in the stuffed chair across from the sofa.

“And you don't be a naive baby,” Albus shot back.

“Um, he's really not taking the piss,” Scorpius put in.

Albus waved his arms to punctuated some point he hadn't made. Probably just that he was right. He liked to be right.

“So, what? This Julianna woman is Dad's secret girlfriend on the side and he's moving her into the house and having her for Christmas? You really think Mum would put up with that?”

Albus and Scorpius shared one of their creepy looks, the ones that made James wonder if they'd mastered legilimency and were projecting thoughts to each other.

“Poor straight James. So many assumptions,” Albus said.

“Oh fuck off.”

“We're pretty sure she's Mum's.”

“Mum's what?”

“Mum's lover.” Albus rolled his eyes to indicate how stupid he thought James was.

James huffed. “Now I know you're taking the piss. Mum's not...” But then James paused. Actually, he had never thought about it. But why would he? He had seen his parents kiss and show affection many times over the years. They had a happy marriage. 

“Not only does Mum fancy birds, Dad fancies blokes.”

“No he doesn't,” James said. “Albus, you're just full of it today. That's not reading between the lines. That's your imagination run wild.”

“Did I say I had to read between the lines?” Albus asked. “No, no, no. He told me that straight out. Just before I had to get the sex talk all over again.”

“He made us both sit through it,” Scorpius said, looking unhappy. Albus looked almost gleeful to be sitting there trying to shatter James's view of their parents. “It was so uncomfortable. But, well, James, I can attest. I'm pretty sure the person who was able to deliver that sex talk about gay sex knew what he was talking about.”

“What? He probably just read a book.” James felt unsure and he could hear it in his voice.

“James, stop being purposefully thick. He told me he prefers men. He's bent.”

James furrowed his brow. “But Mum… I mean...” He felt flustered.

“Yeah, obviously they had us. I don't claim to be in on whatever's going on in that bedroom. And it's our parents. I don't want to know. Whatever it is, it's apparently 'complicated'” Albus made air quotes and threw James's word choice back at him.

“That's not… I mean…”

“Don't believe me? Talk to Lily. You know how they always decide Dad should talk to us and Mum should talk to Lily. Well, she's sure to have been clear. I'm sure Lily knows. And she's already home from Hogwarts. She's there now. If Julianna is moving in with them, Lils will know by now what's up.”

“But...” James felt very uncomfortable. Either Albus was trying to play an epic prank on him or his parents were. Either way, he didn't like it.

“Or just talk to Dad again!” Albus said. “I'm sure he thinks he was clear. The note said it like he thought you knew.”

James tried to remember exactly what the note had said.

“Parents are hard,” Scorpius said. “My dad's dating.” He said dating like it was a distasteful act.

Albus laughed at his boyfriend, too. “I liked the German woman. She was very funny.”

Scorpius gave him a nasty look. “Easy for you to say. He's not your dad.”

“You were there when we caught him with his tongue down Neville's throat.”

“At least we like Neville.”

“I liked the German woman,” Albus said.

“You what?” James exclaimed. “Professor Longbottom?”

“Oh, poor, sweet James. We're corrupting your innocence,” Albus said.

“We followed them after graduation last year,” Scorpius explained. “They were really affectionate. And we know Neville is as queer as they come.”

“We spied them in the greenhouses with their mouths all over each other.” Albus laughed.

“You never,” James said, but he heard his own voice come out as a sort of squeak.

“Since I saw that, I have wondered if they were together back in school. They shared a dorm room and we know what that's like,” Albus glanced at Scorpius who grinned back at him.

James got up. “I can't listen to any more of this. I think I might be sick.”

Albus was back to laughing. “Maybe I should come with you and see what's going on at the house. It's bound to be interesting.”

“You can't,” Scorpius said. “We're meeting Felix and Alastair for lunch on Diagon Alley. And then we're supposed to go to the manor.”

“Alas, alas,” Albus said. “Well, until tomorrow, I suppose.”

* * *

When James stepped through the Floo, he initially thought the house might be deserted. Everything was decorated for Christmas and the lights were charmed and twinkling, even though it was daytime. James got the same warm feeling he always got coming home. He could still recall, in the far reaches of memory, when they moved to this house. Albus was a toddler. Lily was on the way. He could remember running into the garden bordered by all those great, green trees and his father stringing up a muggle style swingset just for him.

“Hullo?”

“Jamie? That you?”

He heard his father's voice coming from the master bedroom. He headed up the steps to the room, pushing the door, which was already ajar, aside.

“Hey, Dad.”

He was met with an unexpected scene. His father was seated on the edge of the grand bed with a woman with short, purple hair and reading glasses in a plaid shirt with a loose skirt. She was propped up against the back of the bed.

“Oh,” he said, pausing.

“Sorry,” Harry said. “Yes. This is Julianna Marsh. Jules, this is James.”

“We have met,” she said. “But you were only about yea high so I don't expect you to remember.”

James looked at her in surprise. She was American. Her voice had that sort of nasal quality of many American accents, but it was also soft. And she sounded young. Something about the way she looked in the bed, despite the wild hair, made her look older.

“Oh, nice to meet you Ms. Marsh,” he said.

“Call me Jules,” she said. “I'd get up,” she continued, “but I don't have on my legs.”

James glanced down in surprise. What he had taken to be her legs folded under her skirt was apparently no legs at all. They must have been amputated somewhere around the knee.

“You most certainly won't get up,” Harry said. “I just got you into the bed and you'll take the nap you promised.”

“You know I'm crap at following directions, Harry.”

“Well I'd much rather you were able to enjoy the holidays with us than running yourself down for no reason. Take a nap.”

“If you don't talk me into a nap will Ginny...”

“Jules, go to sleep!” Harry stood up and faced James. Even in the slightly dim light of the bedroom, he could see his father was blushing.

James didn't know what to make of any of this. Not Jules and her American accent or her injury. Not the intimacy of her interaction with his father. Not the fact that she was propped up in his parents' bed. And he definitely did not want to think about whatever she had been about to say.

“See you tomorrow, James,” Jules said, chuckling. “Thanks for any help you can getting my stuff from my flat.”

They left the room, Harry closing the door lightly behind them.

“Did you have lunch?” Harry asked. “Your mum left us some sandwiches, I think. She and Lily are out shopping for Christmas.”

“Not yet,” James said, amazed by his father's ability to ignore the most obvious topic of conversation and simply move on to something entirely unrelated, like lunch. He stared back at the bedroom door.

His father must have noticed. “Sorry about Jules. She can be… well… Yes.”

James felt his eyes were going to bug out. Sorry about what, he wondered. Could his father be more vague?

“When did she lose the legs?” James asked.

“A few months ago,” Harry said. “Your mother tried to get her to come live with us then, but her brother came from America for awhile and she thought she might go back with them. She's lived here since you were a baby, but she knew it would be a difficult rehab and she thought she'd go back with family. Your mother worked on her for ages before she finally agreed.”

James's mind reeled. She must have been at St. Mungo's. Had they been visiting her and not popped by to see him? Except, suddenly he realized that his mother had been by the hospital several times unexpectedly a few months back. His father had as well, but that wasn't very surprising. He often had injured colleagues and it was part of the expectations of his position as head of the department that he visit them. James hadn't thought anything of it.

“Was it an injury or…?”

“Curse damage,” Harry said. “She works in dark artifacts and triggered a nasty curse. Something new sent by that new purist cult we're dealing with in the south.”

“Oh.” James was surprised. They must have frozen the curse but not been able to reverse it and ended up amputating. That was tricky work and very rare. “Are there any lingering issues?”

Harry looked grim. “Unfortunately. It's especially affecting magical prosthetics so her mobility is a bit limited at the moment. We're going to rearrange things after the holidays so she doesn't have to deal with the stairs, but there's no time to do it yet. They're figuring it out. You can ask her about it. She'll probably happily prattle on about it all.”

James noticed all the things they weren't talking about, like that Jules was in his parents' bed. However, he ate his sandwich and complained about Albus and the dishes and told his father about a set up he'd gone on with a friend's sister that hadn't worked out very well, and they talked about Christmas cookies and who would win the epic war on Christmas day of having the best ones. He was betting it would be his grandmother. His father said he'd put money on his Aunt Audrey, just because she was really, really detailed about these sorts of things. The previous Christmas, her gingerbread men had a choreographed dance.

Then they took the Floo to what was apparently Jules's old flat. They took turns taking the final round of boxes through the Floo. It took half a dozen trips each and they were left with a pile of boxes in the living room to move into storage. There was storage in a sort of tiny backyard shed where his mum had used expansion charms and his father had used protection charms so that it looked like a rickety, old, tiny space, but it actually held quite an assortment of things, all kept basically dry and safe.

James carried boxes of books and Harry levitated several boxes of clothes, including one, James noticed with a strange feeling, that was filled with boots and shoes.

There was already a space packed with boxes all labeled in purple with “Julianna Marsh” on them. “There's a good bit to sort through,” Harry admitted as they found space for the last load.

“Dad,” James said as they closed up the shed, “are things all right with you and Mum?”

His father looked surprised. “Yes, brilliant.” He paused as he set the locks back, tapping them each with his wand. “It's a big adjustment having Jules here, and it's obviously not under the best of circumstances for her. But your mother is beyond thrilled about that part anyway. I know it's unorthodox and all, but, well, anything to keep her happy, you know.” He walked around to the back of the shed, seeming to check over some of the spellwork and casually reinforcing the protection spells. “And we talked all about this. Did you need… I mean… is there anything else?”

James wanted to scream, no, that they had most definitely not really talked about any such thing. But it was looking more and more like Albus had been right on every point, something James hated to admit on a number of levels.

Harry was wearing the very blank expression that James recognized as meaning his father wasn't totally home. Anyone who didn't know him that well might have thought it was an open look, but James knew it meant he didn't want to talk.

“No,” he said. “I'm glad things are good, I guess.”

When they got inside, they were just in time to see Lily and Ginny emerge from the Floo.

“Jamie!” Lily dashed forward. She looked so posh, James thought, her hair carefully piled up and her nails done, carrying lots of shopping bags. She dropped them all to hug him.

“How's your NEWT year?” he asked.

“Dreadful!” she exclaimed. “I thought OWL year was bad, but this is torture. I think Professor Bentley is trying to kill me. And Michael and I broke up. And Georgia and I had a massive fight. You know she was dating Louis? Cousin crossovers. When she dumped him she was terrible and I'm afraid I wouldn't stand for it. I don't know what will happen because I suppose we'll go see the Dursleys at Boxing Day again this year so I guess we'll need to make it up then. And worst of all, we lost quidditch to Slytherin. I got distracted by a bludger and Zabini got the snitch before me. It was mortifying. Don't tell Al. He won't have bothered to have found out if we don't tell him.”

James smiled. Lily could talk fast when she wanted to.

“Come with me to wrap presents,” she demanded.

“I have to get home soon. I'm doing a thing with my flatmates.”

“Come help me wrap presents and then take me along,” she begged.

“Home by midnight if you go out,” Ginny called from the kitchen. James noticed his parents had kissed as his father greeted his mother. Everything did seem to be normal.

James didn't mind bringing Lily. She was technically an adult now too, so he had no qualms about taking her out to pubs with his friends. “Yeah, all right.”

She picked up her shopping bags and he followed to her room, which was still her own, decorated in old Harpies posters, pink curtains, Gryffindor pennants, and massive paintings. Her room had always been, as he used to call it as a kid, the “den of girliness.”

She spilled the presents out on her bed. He could see a new wallet with a passport holder for Albus, which was a good gift. “Do you know any wrapping spells?” She wrinkled her nose.

He shrugged. “I always do it by hand.”

“Well, I can transfigure the paper to look all Christmas-like anyway,” she said.

“So, about…” James hesitated, but Lily was good at reading his mind.

“You met Jules?”

“Just for a moment.”

“So tragic, right?” Lily asked.

“Yeah.” James looked in the direction of his parents' bedroom, even though the doors were all closed.

“Well, I like her a great deal. She's very nice. And she's funny. She's brilliant at gobstones.” Lily spoke matter of factly.

“But… what about…?”

She paused stretching the paper around the gifts and putting sticking charms on it to make it stay. “I know, it's weird, right? But I suppose parents are just always weird. And ours have always been eccentric.”

“What do you mean?” James has never thought their parents were eccentric. They were just parents.

“Oh,” Lily said, “you know. Mum and her constant exercise crazes. And her junior quidditch league. And the way she and Uncle Ron feud all the time then make up. And the way Dad chips all the plates all the time and uses magic to clean up but really poorly. And he insists on muggle electricity in the kitchen then never uses it. And the way stupid things like campfires give him a panic attack but then he goes out and fights vampires and dark wizards. And the way he lies to the press all the time. I've never known anyone so good at lying as Dad. I mean, just being famous, I suppose you have the right to be eccentric right there.”

“Dad's not… eccentric. He's just Dad.”

Lily shrugged. “Well, you've got to admit that letting Jules move in was eccentric.”

“What did Mum tell you about… all that?”

“Oh, Godric, was Dad all vague? See, that's another Dad eccentricity.”

“He wasn't… yeah. He was vague.”

“She's been Mum's lover for eons. Before I was born, I guess. I caught them snogging last night before bed.” At James's horrified expression, she giggled. “Nothing too gross. Just a peck on the lips, really. Nothing worse than I've seen Mum and Dad do for sure. And Dad was right there. He was reading a book and he didn't even look up.”

“Merlin and Morgan.”

“I know, right?”

“Al and Scorpius said they caught Dad snogging Professor Longbottom,” James said.

Lily paused her wrapping and looked up. “Really? No way!” Unlike James she didn't seem to feel queasy learning this news. “The three of us should get together and compare notes. I wonder if they'll be like that at Christmas Eve? Want to take bets? I'll put money on anything that involves Dad being an absolute nutter, so I say he'll kiss Professor Longbottom before Teddy arrives. Want to put a galleon on it?”

James stared at her. “I think I don't want to think about it.”

She laughed. “Poor, sweet James. Always on the straight and narrow. Are you only just now realizing what freaks we got for parents? But you know, it's better than having boring parents. I mean, wouldn't you rather have ours than, say Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey? No matter how exciting her gingerbread men are. Or the Dursleys? Cousin Dudley seems perfectly all right and all, but I wouldn't want dull muggle parents.”

She continued talking as she pulled out a scrap of parchment to label each of the presents. “Besides, I always figured Dad must have had to be at least a bit mad to defeat Voldemort. Or had to have been at least a bit mad to have survived it all. They say all the great wizards are at least a little bit mad. I once got called to the Headmistress's office and had a whole conversation with Dumbledore's portrait and he was definitely batty. He did the whole conversation in rhymes. I kid you not.”

“Do you really think Dad's a great wizard though?” James asked.

“Yeah.” She looked at him like he was the one who was crazy now.

James let out a long sigh. He felt like the youngest instead of the oldest Potter child, the way Albus and Lily were letting him have it today. “Is it too early for a firewhiskey?”

Lily laughed. “Absolutely. But go downstairs and I'll get changed so I can Floo back with you and go out. Where are we going?”

“Muggle pub,” James said. “Dancing. Tom's got a place.” Tom was his muggle-born flatmate.

“Brilliant. Casual or should I go for smashing to pick up muggle boys?”

“Oh, Lily,” he said.

“Don't worry, I look gorgeous no matter what I wear.”

James went downstairs and found that his father was in the midst of settling Jules on the sofa. He wondered if he had carried her or levitated her or what. She still didn't have any prosthetics on and he wondered about the magical medical issues involved. He knew that in some cases muggle techniques worked better and he wondered what muggles did for artificial limbs. Maybe he would do some research.

James greeted them and went to the kitchen. His mother was making her own entry to the family Christmas cookie trade, but hers were always half-hearted. You couldn't put Swiss chard in a cookie, after all, and she didn't have the dramatic flair to magic them into doing anything.

“Lily's going to come out dancing with me, if that's all right,” he said.

“Of course. You met Julianna?” she asked. She said it so casually, but James suddenly realized that she cared a great deal about his approval. There was something about the way she didn't look at him that let him know that it mattered a lot.

“She seems nice,” he said. “Um, she made Dad blush.”

Ginny grinned widely and this time she met his eyes. “Yes, she does that.”

He looked back at her. She was still so young, he realized. She had only played quidditch for a few years before she had them all, one after the other. She could pass for being not much older than him, he thought.

“I like her,” he said.

“I'm glad you approve,” Ginny replied. “I was going to try and have you all over for dinner together after your father explained everything, but then she was abroad for months and months and then… Well, her accident happened.” She went back to her cookies. “I'm going to try and charm them to open and close like flowers,” she announced. “Jules thinks I'm mad but she said she'll help.” The last part was said loudly so the living room could hear.

“I'm not helping!” Jules yelled.

“But think of the impression you'll make with my family!”

Ginny left the baking and stood in the kitchen door.

“I don't care,” Jules said. “It's some sort of patriarchal Christmas ritual. Make Harry do it. Stop the cookie oppression.”

“It would be oppression, if we had to eat my cookies,” Harry observed.

“None of us have house elves,” Ginny said. “We're all doing it of our own free will.”

“You hate this, Mum,” James said.

“See! See!” Jules sounded almost giddy.

“Wait until you taste Fleur's cookies. Or, as much as I hate to admit it, Audrey's gingerbread men. You will think you've died and gone to heaven. And you will forget about whether it's outdated for women to bake and just be glad you've tasted that butter cookie.”

“I'm sure I will,” Jules said. “Oppression is all right for other women, just not you, darling.” She rolled her words sarcastically at the end and Ginny began laughing as she went back in the kitchen.

“Thanks,” Ginny said.

“I don't know why they have to be gingerbread men though. They should be women. And I'll eat their legs first.”

“Jules,” Ginny said, her voice a mix of exasperation and sympathy.

James didn't know what to make of any of it. They were so happy. So domestic. Maybe it was all normal. Or just, like Lily thought, eccentric.

Lily came downstairs in shiny muggle clothes. She hugged everyone goodbye and promised to apparate home by midnight and not to apparate and drink. “Get me out of here!” she said enthusiastically to James as they headed to the Floo. She was clearly thinking happily of drinking and muggle music and muggle boys.

“No, get me out of here,” James replied as he threw the powder into the grate. He supposed his parents were happy and that was what mattered most, but he wanted to go forget the day and let it sink all in somewhere else.


End file.
